It's a bit overwhelming to go through all my images from the past year. This is especially true when I'm limited to the rare moments my toddler is reading by himself (and yelling from his bedroom every two minutes, "I reading!"), which are quickly interrupted by his urgent potty breaks/questions about animals/requests for food. Being a mom is, of course, my most important job - and that's why my year-end photo review is coming a month into the new year.

[He just ran into my room and is testing gravity by letting his storybook fall on my keyboard. Over and over again. This is what happens: ui.iy|{!?>EWADFGK&$( This also explains why I have to mend the bindings of his books so frequently.]

2016 had some very exciting moments. I got to meet and be inspired by fellow photographers throughout the year. I had an article published in Click Magazine and several articles on different wonderful blogs. I started to focus on commercial children's work (which I LOVE). I also decided to cut back a little on work, since my little family comes first, and that was also inspiring because it gave me the chance to focus on clients that really understood and loved what I did, the real moments, the real things. And that was wonderful. I'm so grateful for all the people who chose me to capture the love and light in their lives in 2016.

Saturday's wedding was so sweet, and simple, and beautiful. It was such a perfect representation of who Lyd & Andrew are - focused entirely on their love for God and each other, and for the people in their lives, with lots of hugs and laughter and happy tears.

But I'll tell you more, because I like talking about this session, and because they're just so beautiful together. Little Ashe was soon-to-be-born when I photographed this session (now he's 5 months old! Which is crazy.) and his adorable parents were brimming over with happiness and excitement and, well, the fact that they are head over heels in love. (It felt a little more like an engagement session than a maternity session - their love for each other was so tangible. And I think that's absolutely awesome.)

This was February; no, you wouldn't think it to look at these photos, but yes, we were freezing the entire session. And yet - that winter light! It's entirely unlike the saturated summer light. It's almost translucent. A little bit magical. It shimmers when it touches my lens. I love it.

The blanket they wrapped themselves in was handmade by Jim's grandmother, and Tina's sweater belonged to Jim's dad. It's my favourite thing when these small items have real meaning.

And not too long after this maternity session, their little Ashe was born! HE IS VERY VERY CUTE. I can't wait to share his newborn photos with you!

I loved photographing these two. Henrique is my husband Jorge's coworker at Giant Ant, where they create really cool moving things on screens. (That's the simple definition, where I describe what they do and forget to describe almost everything that they actually do. Ask Jorge if you want to get more technical.) Fernanda also works in animation (talk about a creative couple!) and paints adorable illustrations as well. For Fernanda's birthday, Henrique asked me to photograph a morning in their lives - and we happened to choose a sunny Saturday!

Henrique & Fernanda are Brazilian, and Brazilians have invented the most delicious food: Pão de Queijo. That means cheese bread, but the name is such an understatement. It's delicious and chewy and very very cheesy and I find myself craving it at the most inconvenient times. (It's also gluten free - using tapioca flour - which is cool.) So when I was in Brazil recently, I bought some tapioca flour and managed to get it home without any customs officials getting suspicious (it looked like white powder in an unlabelled plastic bag, so that was a relief) and made pão de queijo myself. AMAZING.

Anyways, that was just to let you know the identity of those little round biscuits they are eating in many of the photos, and partly just because I wanted to talk about cheesy bread because I'm craving it yet again. Also, Henrique & Fernanda's apartment is so awesome and unique and so very "them" - filled with art and light and delicious food and quirkyness. I had so much fun this day - thank you again, Henrique and Fernanda, for letting me document a tiny moment of your lives :)